Automatic setting device for phonographs



S. J. ABT

Dec? 2, 1924.

AUT 0MATIC SETTING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed Aug. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 2, 1924. 1,517,690

s. J. ABT

AUTOMATIC SETTING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed Aug. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES STEPHEN JOSEPH A131, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC SETTING DEVICE FOR, PHONOGBIAPHS.

Application filed August 8, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. Am, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Setting Devices for Phonographs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in-

Fig. 1 a broken plan View of an automatic setting device for phonographs, constructed in accordance with my invention, and shown with the cover of the cabinet closed.

Fig, 2 a broken view thereof in side elevation, with the cabinet in'vertical section.

Fig. 3 a view corresponding to Fig. 2, with the cover raised.

Fig. 1 a broken detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 a corresponding View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

My invention relates to an improved automatic device for setting and re-setting phonograph-needles with respect to the outermost or starting ends of the spiral grooves of disk-records, the object being to provide simple, convenient and reliable means for automatically positioning the reproducing-needle of a phonograph in the starting-groove of the record to be played, whereby the necessity of manually placing the needle carefully on the record is avoided, so that the phonograph can be played without danger to it by persons unfamiliar with it. The damaging of records by the opera tion of a phonograph by careless or ignorant persons or children is thus entirely eliminated. My invention also provides for repeating any record by so simple an act as that of simply opening and closing the cover of the cabinet of the phonograph.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in an automatic setting device for phonographs, having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

For the illustration of my invention, I have shown a standard phonograph provided with the usual articulated tone-arm Serial No. 656,356.

having inner and outer members 10 and 11 and a diaphragm-head 12 carried by the latter and carrying a reproducing-needle 18 which travels in the groove of a diskrecord 14 positioned upon a revolving table 15, driven from any convenient source of power and set within a cabinet 16 having a cover 17 secured to it by a hinge 18. All of the parts thus far described are of standard construction,

In carrying out my invention, 1 connect the said diaphragm-head 12 with the cover 17, so as to cause the needle 13 to be lifted away from the record 14 when the cover 17 is lifted, and to be automatically repositioned thereupon in readiness for playing when the cover is lowered into its closed position.

For the purpose of the described operat ing connection between the cover and diaphragm-head, I employ, as shown, a tubular arm 19, receiving at its forward end a telescoping rod 20, pivotally connected at its outer end to a clip 23 secured to the upper portion of the diaphragm-head 12. At its rear end the said arm 19 is secured by a horizontal pivot 2 1- to a yoke 25 connected by a vertical pivot 26 to a bracket- 27 secured by screws 28 and 28 to the inside of the inclined rear wall 29 of the cover 17 of the cabinet 16. The bracket 27 also mounts a lifting-arm 30, the inner end of which is slotted to fit over the lower screw 28 and to provide for its vertical adjustment. The outer end of the arm 30 is upturned so as to form a transversely-arranged flange 31, the upper edge of which is inclined downwardly and outwardly to form a shifting-cam 32, which co-acts with a collar 33 upon the arm 19. At its outer end the flange 31 is formed with a stop finger 84 carrying an adjusting-screw 35 engaging with the collar 33 to limit the outward swing of the needle 13. The bracket 27 is also furnished with a fiat spring 36 engaging with the outer edge of the yoke 25 and exerting a constant effortto swing the yoke and hence the arm 19 and the parts connected therewith inward- 1y, so as to finally position the needle 13 in the outer end of the groove of the record, as will be hereinafter described.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the device is shown with the cover closed and the needle in engagement with the groove of the record. Now, as the record revolves, the needle and tonearm and all of the parts connected therewith, will be gradually swung inward by the groove itself, toward the center of the record, until the inner limit of the recordgroove is reached, at which time the phonograph will stop playing. The operator now raises the cover 17, whereby the lifting-arm 30 is raised, with the effect of engaging the shifting-cam 32 with the collar 33 of the arm 19. Now the lifting of the cover continues, the arm 19 is lifted, as well as the rod 20, which telescopes into it with the ef fect of rocking the diaphragm-head 12 and lifting the needle 13 entirely clear of the record. Concurrently with the lifting of the tubular arm 19, gravity will act to cause it to slide outwardly and down over the shifting-cam 32 until its collar engages with the adjusting-screw 35, which will be set to stop this movement when the needle 13 is positioned directly above the margin o'f-therecord and a short distance outside of the outer'end of the spiral groove thereof. The cover is now lowered, whereby the arm 19, the diaphragm-head 12 and the reproducing-needle 13 are allowed to descend by gravity, the arm 19 being meanwhile supported by the resting of its collar 33 upon the outer end of the shifting-cam 32. Shortly before the cover reaches its closed position, the needle 13 comes to rest upon the outer edge or margin of the record-disk 14L. Up to this point, in the closing movement of the cover, that is, until the needle has been brought to a bearing upon the record, the collar 33 of the arm 19 rests upon the outer end of the shiftingtam 32 and against the inner end'of the adjusting-screw 35, but now, the needle having been engaged with the record-disk as described, the downward swing of the arm is arrested. Consequently, as the cover continues to move into its closed position, the shifting-cam 32 moves away from the collar 33, thus leaving the spring, 36 free to act against the yoke 25 for swing ring the arm 19 inwardly, and hence the needle. which is in this manner automatically brought into its final position in the outeror starting end of the spiral groove of the record. The needle is thus, by the mere closing; of the cover of the cabinet, automatieally positioned with respect to the record-groove, without any other attention on the part of the operator. When the record has been played through, the simple raising of the cover automatically shifts the needle for another playing, whether it be the same record or a record substituted therefor. It may be explained that the shifting-cam is adapted in length to swing tie needle sufficiently outward to clear the starting-groove of any record-disk of a given diameter. The action of the spring 36 in swinging; the arm 19 and hence the needle in wardly during the final closing movement of the cover, thus compensates for any variations in the distances of the starting-points of the grooves from the centers of the disks.

The cabinet-cover constitutes the primemover of my improved device and might be replaced by a rocking-men]ber. By the term needle, I intend to cover standard needles, as well as bamboo, jewel and other recordeupgagring members.

l. claim:

l. in an automatic setting device for phonographs, the combination with a tonearm, of a diaphragnnhead, a needle carried thereby, a pivotal cabinet-cover constituting a mime-mover, an extensible universal-joint connection between the said cover and diaphragm-head. whereby the same is lifted and lowered as the cover is opened and closed, and a lifting-and-shifting cam carried and operated by the said cover and coactino; with the said connection for raising and lowering the diaphramn-head and shifting it laterally with respect to the record.

In an automatic setting; device for phonographs, the combination with. a toncarm. of a diaphragin-head, a needle carried thercliy, a pivotal cabinet-cover constitutinga prime-mover, an extensible universal joint connection between the said cover and diaphraqnrhead. and a lifting-and-shiftinn member carried by the said cover, and co acting with the said arm to lift and shift the same as the cover is opened and releasing the said arm as the cover goes into its shut position.

3. In an automatic setting device for phonographs, the combination with a tone arm. of a diaphragm-head, a needle carried thereby, a pivotal cabinet-cover, an extensible universal ioint connection between the said cover and diaphrasnn-head, whereby the said head is lifted and lowered as the cover is opened and closed. and a lifting-andshiftingr member rigidly connected with the inside of the cover and co-acting with the said connection for raisinq and lowering the diaphragm-head and shifting it laterally with respect to the record.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing; witnesses.

STEPHEN JOSEPH .AB'I.

Witnesses:

MATTHEW E. Friar-rear), VERNON E. Snow. 

